Church is 4th public building hit by arson

OCTOBER 2008

ST Peter’s Church in Dromiskin is the fourth public building in the parish attacked by arsonists in the past year.

Extensive damage is caused to the 83-year-old church which is now closed for repairs.

Parish priest Fr Patrick McEnroe says the community fears that an arsonist or arsonists are at work in the area as the credit union, school and home for the elderly are all damaged by fire in the last 12 months.

The fire in St Peter’s is discovered by sacristan Rose Kinahan when she goes to open the church.

Fires are lit in two sacristies, causing extensive damage to both, while the main body of the chapel suffers considerable smoke damage.

‘It seems that two fires are lit in one sacristy where the priests’ vestments and altar linens are ablaze, while the servers’ garments are burned in the other sacristy,’ says Fr McEnroe.

Fortunately, the fires burn themselves out, but not before vestments, altar linen, sacred vessels, books and other items in storage are either badly damaged or completely destroyed.

‘We do our best to clean it up for Masses at the weekend and the novena but there’s a film of grime over everything and a terrible lingering smell, so we are going to have to close.’

All Masses, weddings and baptisms are transferred to St Michael’s Church in Darver.

Insurers are assessing the damage and an engineer confirms there is no structural damage caused by the fire.

Meanwhile, parishioners are angry there is no garda representative at a meeting to discuss the situation.